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Main Boards => The Shooters FORM Board => Topic started by: arachnid on October 15, 2018, 12:04:24 PM

A bit of advice needed guys...The string keep hitting my nose as I release. After a while it really hurts and it leaves a mark (my wife thought a cat jumped on me😁). I turn my head all the way to the left but it doesn't seem to help.What am I doing wrong (beside having a big nose)?

This is something that crops up for most people at one time or another. These are things you can check:

Brass nock hitting nose - change to tied on nock.

Tab hitting nose - trim tab or switch to snug fitting glove

Elbow not behind arrow, which throws string slightly left on release - get elbow behind arrow.

Anchor too tight to face - adjust anchor

Trying to release shot by opening fingers rather than relaxing them and letting string push them out of the way - maintain good back tension through release and practice releasing by relaxing fingers.

Sometimes it's elusive and none of the obvious fixes work. If you release with good form, the string should go forward and your string hand should go back without hitting your face. At times I have just had to work on shooting with good form until it stops happening on its own.

All the mentioned reasons can cause it. In my experience, the most common reason is laying your head over to the string and string hand rather than bringing the hand and string to your still and unmoving head.

Yes, if you can rotate your head a little more counterclockwise, you should be able to avoid hitting your nose with the string. Also, in the first two shots it is fairly easy to see that you are moving your head into the string. As Arne suggests, focus on keeping your head still and moving your string hand to your head. This can become an ingrained habit that is difficult to self-diagnose. I was in a class once where everyone in the class could see a student move his head, but he couldn’t feel himself do it. If someone watches you shoot and is trained to see your head movement, he or she can point it out to you until you begin to notice it yourself.

It might help if you practice drawing away from your face. In other words at full draw, your string hand would be an inch or so away from the side of your face. When you are satisfied that you have rotated your elbow as far around behind the arrow as possible, then move your string hand in to your anchor. Since the only movement going on at this point would be your string hand moving in to touch your face, it might be easier to keep your head still.

It might help if you practice drawing away from your face. In other words at full draw, your string hand would be an inch or so away from the side of your face. When you are satisfied that you have rotated your elbow as far around behind the arrow as possible, then move your string hand in to your anchor. Since the only movement going on at this point would be your string hand moving in to touch your face, it might be easier to keep your head still.

I’m not sure his rotational draw has two distinct motions, i.e. drawing to a spot an inch or two away from your face and then, in a separate motion, bringing your hand to your face. I know people who do this, I think Rod Jenkins may do this, so I don’t think it would hurt anything to try it. If it helps you to not move your head, but you don’t want to continue to draw that way after you solve that problem, then you could go back to the way you draw now.